Rosemonde Gérard Explained

Louise-Rose-Étiennette Gérard, known as Rosemonde Gérard (April 5, 1871, Paris – July 8, 1953, Paris) was a French poet and playwright. She was the wife of Edmond Rostand (1868–1918, author of Cyrano de Bergerac), and was a granddaughter of Étienne Maurice Gérard, who was a Marshal and a Prime Minister of France.[1]

Gérard is perhaps best known today as the author of the lines:

This couplet is taken from a poem, variously known as "L'éternelle chanson" ("The Eternal Song") or "Les Vieux" ("The Old Ones"), that she wrote to Rostand in 1889.[2] The poem was published in 1890, but did not enjoy immediate success. The phrase became celebrated as an expression of ever-growing love when, in 1907 (17 years after its publication), a Lyonnais jeweler, Alphonse Augis, had the idea of making a medallion with the core portion of the verse engraved on it.[3] The medallions became quite popular, and led to the production of other, similarly decorated jewelry items, such as earrings and matchboxes; many older examples include Augis' name. A very common variation on the design presents the line with the words "plus" and "moins" replaced by the mathematical + and - signs, respectively. The mathematical signs are frequently rendered in tiny gemstones, often in contrasting colors.[4]

Among Gérard's other works is the play “A Good Little Devil” (1913), co-written with Maurice Rostand.[5] It was made into a movie of the same name in 1914. Mary Pickford starred in both the play and the movie; she later opined that the movie was one of the worst—if not the worst—she had ever made.[6] Gérard also subtitled a number of films including Alexis Granowsky's Das Lied vom Leben (1931) and Nikolai Ekk's film The Road to Life (1931).[7]

Gérard and Rostand were married on April 8, 1890;[8] they had two sons, Maurice (1891 - 1968) and Jean Rostand (1894 - 1977). In later years, Gérard and Maurice Rostand frequented an intellectual circle that included Jean-Paul Sartre and Gilbert Martineau.

It has been said that Gérard "doubtless would have been famous had not her husband's star so far eclipsed her own."[9] After 35 years of widowhood, she died in 1953 and is buried at Cimetiere de Passy, in Paris, as is her son Maurice.[10]

Works

Notes and References

  1. [:fr:Rosemonde Gérard|French Wikipedia: Rosemond Gérard]
  2. See, for example, Iloveyou365.
  3. http://www.linternaute.com/expression/langue-francaise/369/aujourd-hui-plus-qu-hier-et-bien-moins-que-demain/ L’Internaute: Aujourd’hui plus qu’hier et bien moins que demain.
  4. http://www.adin.be/en/explanation-on-plus-qu-hier-moins-que-demain-by-adin-antique-vintage-and-estate-jewelry.htm Adin antique jewelry: Plus qu'hier et moins que demain
  5. http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=8494 IBDB: Rosemonde Gerard.
  6. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0004027/ IMDB: A Good Little Devil.
  7. Morrissey. Priska. December 2011. Documents (III): Question de genre. Regards sur les femmes au travail dans le cinéma français des années trente. 1895. Mille huit cent quatre-vingt-quinze. 65. 168–179.
  8. Web site: Edmond Rostand . Books and Writers (kirjasto.sci.fi) . Petri . Liukkonen . Kuusankoski Public Library . Finland . https://web.archive.org/web/20081005045345/http://kirjasto.sci.fi/rostand.htm . 5 October 2008 . dead .
  9. http://www.theatrehistory.com/french/rostand001.html Theatrehistory.com: Edmond Rostand.
  10. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7165 Find A Grave: Rosemonde Gerard.

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